Pennsylvania State Rep. Brian Sims Records Himself Rebuking Pro-Life ‘Old White Lady’ Saying Rosary

Pennsylvania State Rep. Brian Sims videotaped himself last week as he rebuked a woman he called an “old white lady,” who was praying the rosary as she demonstrated in front of a Planned Parenthood facility.

“Who’d have thought that an old white lady would be out in front of a Planned Parenthood, telling people what’s right for their bodies?” Sims berated the woman as he filmed her praying as she walked. “Shame on you. What you’re doing here is disgusting! This is wrong! You have no business being out here!”

Push back against Planned Parenthood protestors, PLEASE! They prey on young women, they use white privilege, & shame. They’re racist, classist, bigots who NEED & DESERVE our righteous opposition. Push back, please! #YouAreStrongEnough https://t.co/rYQOiAhC0D

— Brian Sims (@BrianSimsPA) May 2, 2019

Pro-life organization Live Action tweeted Sims’ video:

WATCH: Pennsylvania State Representative @BrianSimsPA harasses an elderly woman who is peacefully advocating for the lives of preborn human beings and women who are considering abortion.

This is shameful. https://t.co/Xb9pkFZSXC

— Live Action (@LiveAction) May 5, 2019

The Democrat from Philadelphia, who is the first openly gay lawmaker in the State House, responded to Live Action:

Bring it, Bible Bullies! You are bigots, sexists, and misogynists and I see right through your fake morals and your broken values. #BeReal https://t.co/kmDsrQsMmN

— Brian Sims (@BrianSimsPA) May 5, 2019

“Bring it, Bible Bullies!” he tweeted. “You are bigots, sexists, and misogynists and I see right through your fake morals and your broken values.”

In his video recorded outside Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Sims said:

Today’s protester – now, she is an old white lady – who’s going to try avoid showing you her face. But the same laws, luckily, that protect her being out here also protect me from showing you who she is. And, so, my hope is you’ll donate $100 for every extra hour this woman is out here telling people what’s right for their bodies.

Sims then directly harassed the woman as she prayed while walking:

I have a couple of questions for you, ma’am. How many children have you clothed today? I’m sorry, I missed your answer. How many children have you clothed today? How about how many children have you put shoes on their feet today? Have you fed any children today, or have you just stood out in front of a Planned Parenthood shaming people for something they have a constitutional right to do? Huh? Huh? If you’re here about the children, you can pray at home for children. It’s probably the same place that you can feed a child. But, you’re not. Instead, you’re out here shaming people for something they have a constitutional right to do.

Attacking the woman’s Christian faith, Sims continued in belittling the women as he accosted her.

“We can talk about your Christian faith, about how your Christian faith believes in shaming people, about how your Christian faith believes in telling people you know what’s right for their bodies,” Sims said, adding she had to undertake “mental gymnastics” to reconcile being a Catholic because of the Church’s sex abuse scandal.

Sims then threatened, “If you can give me her address, we’ll protest in front of her home. Let’s go protest out in front of her house.”

Sims posted his video to Twitter with the comment:

Push back against Planned Parenthood protestors, PLEASE! They prey on young women, they use white privilege, & shame. They’re racist, classist, bigots who NEED & DESERVE our righteous opposition. Push back, please!

Sims made headlines in June 2018 when he “welcomed” Vice President Mike Pence to Philadelphia with a middle-finger salute:

“Vice President Mike Pence let me be the first person to officially welcome you to the City of Brotherly Love, and to my District in the State House!” Sims posted to Facebook.

“To be clear, we’re a City of soaring diversity,” he continued. “We believe in the power of all people to live and to contribute: Black, Brown, Queer, Trans, Atheist, Immigrant, we want you and we’ll respect you.”

“So keep that in mind while you’re here raising money to attack more families, spread more lies, blaspheme with your bible, and maybe even talk to a woman without your wife in the room,” Sims added. “We have plenty of them, and they’re pretty much all more powerful and more real than you have ever been. So…get bent, then get out!”